Staff Profile
Joanna Starzynski
Postgraduate Researcher - History
I am a final year Postgraduate Researcher at York St John University. I completed my Undergraduate Degree in
Sociology and Criminology at the University of York (2014). I then continued to complete my Master’s Degree by Research at York St John University (2017). In February 2017 I began my full-time PhD with York St John University. My research so far, focuses upon the construction of identity, community and alienation historically and within contemporary media and film. I am currently working within the Yorkshire Film Archive to produce research using amateur and professional archive film footage about the construction
of community and identity in Yorkshire between WWI & WWII.
As of February 2021 I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
BA in Sociology and Criminology University of York
MA By Research in Media and Media Production at York St John University
- School – School of Humanities
Research
Thesis Title: How depictions of wartime Identity and community vary between footage in The Yorkshire Film Archives 1910-1950.
Supervisors: Dr Robert Edgar & Dr Christopher Price.
Teaching
I have taught various courses at York St John University and at York College.
In 2021 I taught on the History, American Studies and War Studies course the Great Society.
In 2020 I taught on the Media Studies course on Convergence Cultures and Globalisation.
I have previously taught on History, Film and Television and Journalism in 2018.
In 2017 I presented workshops for Creative Writing second and third year students. I have taught AS and A2 Film Studies students at York College.
Conference Presentations
I was a speaker at Propaganda in Yorkshire 'With Our Backs to the Wall: WWI The Spring Offensive', York St John University, 8th June 2019
I organised and coordinated With Our Backs to the Wall event as part of the public engagement fund with York St John University working with the Yorkshire Film Archive. Bar Convent, 30th June 2018
York Literature Festival: WWI Archive and Creative Writing performance, Bar Convent, 24th March 2018
School of Humanities, Religion & Philosophy research seminar: 'Archival Footage: Community, Identity, Methodology' York St John University, 31st January 2018
'Postgraduate & early-stage research conference: 'Social Justice & Public Engagement' 19th January 2018
‘Monster as metaphor: Social isolation and monstrous identity in The Lodger (Hitchcock, 1927) & M (Fritz Lang, 1931)’. York St John Transnational monsters Conference 3rd June 2017.
Alienation and Borderlands between The Lodger and Frenzy. York St John University. Borders and Borderlands: Liminal Textualities in Contemporary Literature 6th June 2016.
Loneliness has followed me my whole life’: Loneliness and the City between Taxi Driver and Drive. Cityscapes: Media Textualities and Urban Visions: York St John University, 23rd April 2016.
Publications/Research outputs
My research outputs so far has involved learning archiving techniques and how to handle film reels in the Yorkshire Film Archives.
Professional Activities or Memberships
I am currently studying and writing my PhD in collaboration with the Yorkshire Film Archives.
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
